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First Surak Invasion of Arixi
The First Surak Invasion of Arixi was a major historical event, believed to have created Arixian militarism and temporarily weakened what the Alsaq-Surak Sultanate, which, at the time, had seized a large amount of territory in the Kardhian Peninsula. The Arixian Kingdoms, previously divided, would unite under King Xenocrates I's rule after this war, hinting just how major this was to Arixian society at the time. War Prelude Prior to the Surak Invasion, the Alsaq-Surak Sultanate grew exponentially powerful. Recent success in campaigns through the Kardhian Peninsula allowed the Sultanate to grow truculent towards foreign nations. Further, the recently crowned Sultan Shahrir I sought to solidify his rule by means of glory and spoils, and so began his search for a suitable target of invasion. To widen the polarity between these two nations, the Arixian Kingdoms were increasingly unstable at the time. The multi-King system had proven to be too decentralized, and communication between each King was minimal and hostile. It is then said that the eastern King Xenocrates I had the ability to take complete sovereignty, but it is likely that a civil war would have made the Kingdoms vulnerable to foreign attack - even more so than they were already. Conflict Abruptly, the Sultan's armies sprung into action and pushed through the western Arixian border, entering the Kingdoms Yeranion and Oxia simultaneously. The King of Yeranion raised his forces and intended to flee north for Oxia, but was caught by Shahrir I's personal cavalry and taken captive. The King of Oxia, who was able to avoid engagement but was now cornered by two armies, surrendered to the Sultan. Neither were able to send for the powerful King Xenocrates in the east, who remained unaware of the situation. The Kings Yeranion and Oxia were brought to Sultan Shahrir I whilst on the march for Filiros, the only defended settlement remaining between the Sultan's army and the capital of Xenocrates' Kingdom, Dhrimon. If Filiros fell as quickly as previous settlements had, the Sultan Shahrir I would be able to fall upon Dhrimon before the eastern King learned a war was ongoing. This made the following Battle of Filiros a crucial victory for the Arixian Kingdom, which was, with a now mobilized army, able to retaliate and retake the Kingdoms Yeranion and Oxia, as the Sultan Shahrir I's army fell into disarray. After Filiros, Shahrir I was unable to remain in the Arixian Kingdoms. The Sultan would flee west and allow the provinces to be retaken while he recovered his army, but political opposition in the Sultanate hindered his efforts. The sentiment in the Sultanate was that Shahrir I had fled after sending his men to die - a cowardly act, and returned to avoid an honorable death with his army. As sedition in the Sultanate raised to a boiling point, the Arixian armies under King Xenocrates I entered the Sultanate's territory of Akron and seized the province entirely. Sultan Shahrir I, presented with either exile or death, chose the latter and committed suicide. His successors raised terms to the Arixian Kingdoms, which gained all of their occupied territories, including Akron. Aftermath Following the First Surak Invasion, the Arixi were able to unite under a single King, understanding then the practicality of a centralized monarchy. Further, Akron would become a long-term Arixian province, which soon lost any cultural identification to the Suraks. The Alsaq-Surak Sultanate's plans for full Kardhian annexation was brought to a temporary halt, but ambitions of this great victory would not be forgotten.